THERE is losing and there is losing. And this was unbelievable, unexpected but most of all unacceptable.

For the second time in the space of a fortnight, Liverpool saw their encouraging start to the campaign checked by a revitalised Tottenham Hotspur.

But if Rafael Benitez’s side could claim to be aggrieved by an undeserved defeat here in the Premier League defeat 11 days ago, there could be no such complaints this time.

A dreadful defensive capitulation during the final seven minutes of the first half was enough to end any Anfield interest in the Carling Cup for another year.

Roman Pavlyuchenko, the match-winner earlier this month, netted the opener before Frazier Campbell, on loan from Manchester United, helped himself to a brace.

Pavlyuchenko’s second ended any hope of a second-half comeback for Liverpool with goals from Damien Plessis and Sami Hyypia merely a case of damage limitation.

Where were the positives? Well, Lucas Leiva kept plugging away in midfield and at least showed a few decent touches.

That, though, was about it. His goal apart, Plessis offered little assistance to Lucas in midfield and allowed Tom Huddlestone to dominate until the arrival of Xabi Alonso from the bench.

Too many players failed to make the most of their opportunity, and the likes of Ryan Babel and young duo David Ngog, Nabil El Zhar only came to life when the game was already lost.

Philipp Degen in particular suffered a torrid evening, at times embarrassingly off the pace and caught in possession on far, far too many occasions.

The Switzerland international even inadvertently ended any hope of a Liverpool comeback by his sickening collision with Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who until being carried off on a stretcher had represented the visitors’ most likely route back into the game.

There was a first start for Fernando Torres since limping out of Spain’s World Cup qualifier in Belgium last month with a hamstring injury that sidelined the striker for six games before his long-awaited return as a late substitute against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

Torres famously netted his first-ever Liverpool hat-trick on his only previous start in the Carling Cup at Reading last year.

But, lacking sharpness and any great support from midfield, the Spaniard cut a frustrated figure and was booked for dissent before being substituted early in the second half as a precaution with Benitez accepting the game was already over.

Remarkably, of the 32 players named in the sides for a Carling Cup quarter-final tie here in December 2004, only Ledley King has stayed put, underlining the subsequent rate of change at both clubs.

And even he was absent last night as both Benitez and Harry Redknapp dipped into their well of reserves for a competition that is evidently low on their respective priorities at present.

Tottenham have enjoyed a renaissance since Redknapp’s arrival, winning four and drawing one of his previous five games in charge.

And at half-time they were already celebrating another victory after three goals in seven minutes before the break.

All three owed as much to some chronic Liverpool defending as they did any great attacking play from the home side.

For the first, Campbell skipped beyond Hyypia to the byline and cut back to an unmarked Pavlyuchenko, the man who had scored the last-gasp winner in the Premier League meeting, to fire home.

Diego Cavalieri then stood up well to deny a breaking Jamie O’Hara, but was badly at fault when attempting to meet a long ball from the same player, taking out Dossena instead of the ball to leave Campbell an easy tap-in.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, Aaron Lennon was allowed space to cross from the left and Campbell ghosted in between Liverpool’s shell-shocked defenders to head in off the post for his second.

The quickfire treble was completely out of keeping with a previously tepid encounter in which the only incident of note, besides a foul throw by Dossena, was a shot by Lennon that was blocked by the body of a sliding Agger.

Plessis pulled a goal back four minutes after the interval by heading in Babel’s corner after Gomes demonstrated some trademark hesitation.

But the home team’s three-goal lead was restored shortly afterwards when Didier Zokora’s cross from the left deflected off Hyypia for Pavlyuchenko to tap in.

Gomes then gave Liverpool further encouragement on 63 minutes by flapping at another Babel corner allowing Hyypia to slot home into an empty net.